San Francisco Citizen

Here it is – the official SUV of the mayor of San Francisco. See it, with umpty-ump “HYBRID” badges and decals? The problem with this heavy vehicle is that if you bought one just like it for yourself, you’d be prohibited from using it on many San Francisco streets under Section 501 of the San Francisco Transportation Code.  

SEC. 501.  VEHICLE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS.

(a)   Prohibition.  Operation of a vehicle with gross weight in excess of 6,000 pounds on the Streets listed in Section 501(b), or the operation of a vehicle with unladen weight in excess of 18,000 pounds on any Street listed in Section 501(c) is a violation of Division I, Section 10.2.36 (Weight Restricted Streets).

(b)   6,000 lbs Limits.  No person shall operate a vehicle of a gross weight in excess of 6,000 pounds on the following Streets:

Is your home on a “Weight Restricted Street? Read on to find out. Click to expand:

(1)   25th Street, between Sanchez and Dolores Streets.
(2)   26th Street, between Church and Sanchez Streets.
(3)   27th Street between Douglass and Castro Streets.
(4)   28th Street between Douglass and Diamond Streets.
(5)   29th Street between Diamond and Castro Street.
(6)   34th Avenue between Wawona and Yorba Streets.
(7)   Alabama Street, between Ripley Street and South Precita Avenue.
(8)   Albion Street, between 15th and 17th Streets.
(9)   Alhambra Street, between Scott Street and Cervantes Boulevard.
(10)   Anza Vista Avenue between O’Farrell and Baker Streets.
(11)   Bacon Street between Somerset Street and San Bruno Avenue.
(12)   Baker Street between Terra Vista Avenue and Turk Street.
(13)   Baker Street, between Union Street Avenue and Marina Boulevard…

That’s right, #13 talks about “Union Street Avenue.” Oh well. (See the full list after the jump.)

The problem comes from adding the hybrid stuff weighing 400 pounds to a regular Chevy Tahoe SUV. That pushes the gross weight with the driver and who all else up over three short tons. And that means that this vehicle needs an exemption to be legal on many blocks of S.F.

But we’re in luck. Check out exemption (6) below: Any vehicle owned by the City while being used in the course of official business. That’s the ticket. So let’s review. Your heavy Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid with a saddled up weight of over 6000 lbs. = prohibited on some City streets. The mayor’s exact same model of heavy Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid with a saddled up weight of over 6000 lbs. = not prohibited on any City street.

Now last year, this larger Lincoln SUV was being used by the mayor. It probably also needed the exemption to be legal. (Note the different brands of tires left and right(!?) Can you see how the treads are totally dissimilar? This unorthodox arrangement, the kind of which the Costco tire department wouldn’t even begin to imagine letting you try, was labeled “safe” by one of the mayor’s spinmeisters. O.K. fine.) 

The official SUV the mayor was driven around in last year. Click on the photo to expand and you’ll see the tire treads. Any accident investigator would have found this setup interesting to say the least. Anyway, bygones.

Am I saying it’s agin the law for you to drive your own damn Lincoln Navigator up your own damn street? Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Unless you fit into one of the exemptions below, you are prohibited from driving on the blocks listed after the jump.

Check it out.

(d)   Exemptions.  The provisions of this Section shall not be applicable to:
(1)   Any vehicle which is subject to the provisions of Sections 1031 to 1036, inclusive, of the California Public Utilities Code and which has received a certificate from the CPUC pursuant to those Sections declaring that the public necessity and convenience require the operation of the vehicle, provided that the certificate authorizes that vehicle to be operated within the City, and the vehicle is being operated for the purpose authorized in the certificate. This exemption shall not apply to vehicles operated as round-trip sightseeing tour service as defined by the CPUC;
(2)   Any commercial vehicle coming from an unrestricted Street having ingress and egress by direct route to and from that portion of the restricted Streets set forth below, when necessary for the purpose of making pickups of refuse, pickups or deliveries of passengers, goods, wares and merchandise from or to any building or structure located on such restricted Street, or for the purpose of delivering materials or equipment to be used in the actual and bona fide repairs, alteration, remodeling or construction of such restricted Street, or for any building or structure upon such restricted Street for which a building permit has previously been obtained;
(3)   Any vehicle owned by a public utility while in use in the construction, installation or repair of any public utility;
(4)   Transit vehicles operated by the SFMTA along a regularly scheduled route;
(5)   School buses when operated for the transportation of school pupils;
(6)   Any vehicle owned by the City while being used in the course of official business;
(7)   Emergency vehicles.
(SFMTA Bd. Res. No. 08-151, 8/19/2008)

All the deets, after the jump.

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